Types of Alcohol Tests and their Testing Requirements

An outline

For years, companies have relied on drug and alcohol testing both for pre-screening job candidates and periodically testing current employees as part of their overall employee wellness programs. In today's society, substance abuse is no longer a matter of third-party negligence or criminal activity. Instead, it is an inescapable fact of modern employment that most people - not just those hired to work in the United States but all around the world - are unknowingly drugged and/or drinking at work.

How can substance abuse impact the business climate?

The impact of substance abuse on a place of business is significant.

• It can cause not only absenteeism and reduced productivity but serious legal liability as well.

• Many times it is alarming that the number of employees report sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour-including inappropriate touching, and urination-in the work environment.

• Most of these employees, in addition to being subjected to physical and sexual mistreatment, are also subjected to verbal comments and conduct that makes them feel ashamed and embarrassed.

For these employees, the loss of their job and the resulting damage to their personal lives is a direct result of a company's negligence in allowing drug testing and/or alcohol testing to be conducted.

Importance of routine tests

It is very important that employers conduct routine tests on potential employees to detect various kinds of illicit substances.

An alcohol testing, for example, can alert employers to the presence of alcohol or other drugs in a person's system. While the majority of people do not drink alcohol or possess substances in their systems when they are employed, other illicit substances may be present in smaller quantities or in large enough concentrations to be problematic. And, for that matter, even a small amount of alcohol consumption can significantly impact a person's judgment and ability to focus when tasks are given to them.

Types of tests

A variety of different tests are available, from saliva testing services to the more common breath alcohol testing services. But what kind of alcohol testing services should be considered? Here are a few things to consider.

Breath Alcohol Testing: A variety of different specimens are often used in the field of breath alyzer testing. The most popular is the oral fluid specimen, which is collected from the back of the mouth through a simple process of sampling the tongue, by gently blowing into the specimen. This kind of specimen is not always having accurate and reliable yield results. It is not uncommon for an individual to have very low blood alcohol levels even while not consuming alcohol. Also, certain other conditions may cause the specimen to yield false results.

Saliva Test: 

In addition to the aforementioned oral fluid specimen, saliva is also commonly used in alcohol testing. Typically, a person will simply swallow a small quantity of saliva after drinking alcohol. If there are indications of alcohol in the saliva, this is an indicator that the individual has consumed alcohol. However, many individuals who have very low blood alcohol concentrations do not have sufficient saliva to make this judgment. For this reason, blood tests and oral specimens are often used to confirm the existence of alcohol in the system. These types of alcohol testing procedures are often used in cases of drunk driving.

Drug Screening: 

When a company is determining whether or not to hire an applicant, it also makes sense to determine whether or not that applicant has been tested for alcohol. As a general rule, most states require that companies perform a drug screening on applicants who apply for jobs in the safety-sensitive work environment.

Blood Test:

 Most states require employers to obtain a blood test, urine, or saliva sample from an applicant who is applying for a job within the safety-sensitive work environment. The blood test is often used to confirm that the individual has not ingested any alcohol.

Lastly, an employee may refuse this test, arguing that the substance in his blood is not alcohol. However, many courts have held that blood, urine, or saliva alcohol testing cannot be used to disprove a person's alcohol claim unless the individual can prove that he refused to take the test. An employee who refuses a drug or blood test may face discipline by his or her employer. To get genuine and reliable testing in USA you can visit https://usadrugtesting.org/